I use a silver tipped badger brush.
I can’t say what brand, since that would mean leaving this comfortable chair to go upstairs and look.
Fire in fireplace, teapot at hand, dog at feet, slippers on said feet, and a smooth shave. Life is good.

Day 1 - Not too bad in the quality dept, 1-10 it was a 6, it was my first time with a DE Razor, no cuts just a little light on the chin and throat area...the menthol smells wonderful throughout the day.
Day 2 - Better, one cut and one nick because I was heavy-handed...used the styptic pencil...getting the angle down, shave was closer in all areas...I'm liken' it!
I threw out the remaining Schick "Green" triple-edge razor 4-pack and Barbasol Shave Cream I had bought a month ago...I'll be keeping the Harry's for "emergencies" when I need a quick shave and the Aveeno Shave Cream as I think it's the best stuff out of a can.
For now the heavy razor (Viking Vulcan), the Gillette Blades (not too aggressive) and the Proraso Menthol Shave Cream are my Fathers Oldsmobile, I don't need a short, light sports car Merkur Razor with aggressive blades...not yet anyway.
That guy shaving with the Bowie knife, well isn't he just so Ernest Hemingway...but then YouTube is full of "Stupid People Tricks".

Well, I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you to be just like them. They sing while you slave and I just get bored.

When I first started out I got a lot of razor burn. Some tips that have worked for me and friends: 1. If the razor has reasonable weight, let it do the cutting, don’t add pressure at first, and 2. Ride the cap and tilt until you hear it start to cut the hair.

Single edge shaves closer? Ok, I'll go for that. Can't say for sure 'cause at 55 I've never used anything with fewer than 2 blades. I spent so much time shaving, sometimes twice a day, while in uniform, that standing in the same room with a razor with any number of blades is too close. It happens from time to time, but my face is a whole lot happier now that I'm not trying to keep things in inspection order.

“There are no dangerous weapons; there are only dangerous men.” Heinlein
You can’t take the Razorback! She is gone and gone and gone!

Been gettin' nice, close shaves for the last week as good as I was getting from the Harrys Club razors...2X over with the DE razor.
I really like the Viking Vulcan it's nice weight and longer handle than the Vulcan Chieftan.
I'm getting rid of the disposables...in the trash they go
Been using Gillette Platinum Plus blades and Proraso Menthol shave cream...it's quite nice.

Well, I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you to be just like them. They sing while you slave and I just get bored.

So...My roommates uncle passed away some 30 years ago, his aunt was cleaning out some stuff of his she found in the attic.

This is a 1960 Gillette Flare-tip TTO (twist to open) safety razor.

It like finding a S&W or Colt Police Special in .38 from the same time period in almost mint condition.
I cleaned it up and it looks very nice.

I'll be using it, not Collectoid it, that's a term we have in a few hobbies I'm into where something is more of value if unused or unopened and pleasure derived is from an "I have one and you don't" kinda nonsense.

Well, I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you to be just like them. They sing while you slave and I just get bored.

The ol' shit , shower & shave is mundane, if I can make one more enjoyable I will.
A newly remodeled bathroom with a Bidet with take care of the rest.
I hear cats can be trained to use the facilities - You can keep the plastic spatula and curse the litter box.

Last edited by MaxwellG on Wed Apr 11, 2018 9:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Well, I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you to be just like them. They sing while you slave and I just get bored.

I have one in my travel kit cuz it’s light and relatively small. I learned you can adjust the blade gap slightly on them depending on how tight you close it.

I had a barber give me a full straight razor wet shave last week while in Hawaii. He did the hot steaming towels, all the prep and after shave. He shaved my face and my head.

Getting away from the canned goop, multi-blade choppers and adding in a nice badger brush makes shaving something I look forward to now instead of a grueling chore I want to get done as fast as possible. Nice warm lather with a pleasant scent can make for a nice morning ritual.

If you're comparing your face to a kitty litter box, then that's too bad. I'd rather it not be a chore and certainly be much more enjoyable.
DE safety razor shaving is far better than crappy disposable razors.
Using disposables is like shaving your face with a plastic litter box scoop with a semi-sharp edge, enjoy!

I have been shaving since I was 15 and I'm nearly 63. Except for the years when I had a beard (last one was over 20 years ago) shaving's been a chore through out that time. I use Fusion razors with Gillette Foamy. It works, it's easy. It's another chore.

If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything." -- Mark Twain
My son says: "Don't argue with an idiot. They'll only drag you down to their level and beat you with experience!" -- YT

Well I'm 56 and been shaving just about as long, and it's too bad you can't enjoy it.
I used to go to the Barber School in Madison at MATC, the Barber School students would give free facials, scalp massage, hot towels and a straight razor shave, wonderful.
A straight razor shave is very nice...not brave enough to do this myself....carry on.

Well, I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you to be just like them. They sing while you slave and I just get bored.

Here's a secret: The best shaving cream/lotion/lather/lube in the world is a product called J-Lube. It's a veterinary product used for inserting your arm various places. It is polyethyleneglycol and a bit of sugar. The sugar is there to aid dispersion as you mix it with water. Comes in powder form and a tiny bit is plenty to shave with. Wet the hair with warm water first and then mix up some J-Lube and smear it on. Don't drop any on the floor or you'll fall on your ass. Slippery stuff. It's the same thing as in those little lubricating strips on the zillion bladed disposables.

Second best is cheap hair conditioner, which is what I use. J-Lube is too much a slip and fall hazzard to use in the shower, which is where I shave my legs the 3 or 4 times a year that I do it.

Well I'm 56 and been shaving just about as long, and it's too bad you can't enjoy it.
I used to go to the Barber School in Madison at MATC, the Barber School students would give free facials, scalp massage, hot towels and a straight razor shave, wonderful.
A straight razor shave is very nice...not brave enough to do this myself....carry on.

It's not that I mind it. It just is--and I prefer it to a beard. I like the way it feels after I'm done far more than a beard or bristles. But the doing is just part of one's ablutions. But if you get a joy out of doing it, all power to you.

If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything." -- Mark Twain
My son says: "Don't argue with an idiot. They'll only drag you down to their level and beat you with experience!" -- YT

I tried using the old safety razors and they worked at first but then I started getting bumps. I have been buying Dorco razors and I find that the 3 blade cartridges work very well for me.
During the time I was using the old safety razors I gathered a good size collection of razors and blades that I now have no use for.
The blue Gillette blades are from the 1930's